Parking
Ottertail Valley parking lot is on the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway, 8.3 km west of Field. Access is eastbound only.
Overview
About Ottertail Valley Trail
Why go
- Follows the Ottertail River to the McArthur Creek confluence.
- The old road is open to both walking and cycling.
Heads up
- About 29 km round trip makes this a full-day commitment.
- Highway 1 access to the trailhead is eastbound only.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yoho map
Full mapElevation1,173–1,490 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Yoho alerts
- ClosureYoho Valley Road closed for avalanche seasonYoho Valley Road is closed to vehicles from mid-October to mid-June because of avalanche risk. - Parks Canada’s current trail report lists no vehicle access to trails in the Yoho Valley.Official details
- CautionWatercraft and angling prohibited in YohoWatercraft use and angling are prohibited on all waterbodies in Yoho National Park until March 31, 2027, to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species, including whirling disease.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yoho Tour Guide
Your drive to Ottertail Valley Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yoho National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yoho audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Ottertail Valley: A Full-Day River Walk0:00 / 0:24
“Up ahead is the Ottertail trailhead, for a long forested walk beside the river to McArthur Creek. The full valley outing takes about nine hours return, with climbing in both directions; save it for a planned hiking day.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yoho Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Stripes in the Forest
- A Valley Above a Valley
- A Pika's Winter Food Store
- How a Soft Body Becomes a Fossil
- 35 audio storiesacross Yoho’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 58 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Ottertail Valley Trail
A long way into the valleyOttertail Valley Trail is a full-day out-and-back on an old forested road beside the Ottertail…
Ottertail Valley Trail is a full-day out-and-back on an old forested road beside the Ottertail River to its confluence with McArthur Creek. It is a valley approach rather than a summit hike, and the road is open to walking and cycling. Plan for 14.5 km each way, about 29 km round trip, and around nine hours for the return. The outbound route gains 705 m and drops 400 m, so expect real climbing in both directions.
Which distance to usePublished totals differ: the day route is 14.
Published totals differ: the day route is 14.5 km one way, while a backcountry itinerary lists 32.4 km round trip over two days. The mapped corridor to the confluence measures about 14.4 km one way and matches the day-route figure. The longer total is not explained, so confirm the intended campground itinerary before setting out if you plan to stay overnight.
At McArthur CreekThe route reaches the confluence of the Ottertail River and McArthur Creek, beside the McArthur…
The route reaches the confluence of the Ottertail River and McArthur Creek, beside the McArthur Creek backcountry campground. An overnight stay requires a backcountry reservation and permit. The longer continuation over Goodsir Pass toward the Rockwall is a separate multi-day route, beyond this out-and-back.
Access and wildlifeStart at Ottertail Valley parking, 8.
Start at Ottertail Valley parking, 8.3 km west of Field on the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway. The lot is accessible from the eastbound lane only, so plan your approach. This is sensitive wildlife habitat; watch for bears, wolves and mountain goats. Dogs are allowed but must stay leashed and under physical control. Food, drinking water and toilet facilities are not listed for this long route, so carry what you need.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yoho
21 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
55 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
61 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
66 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
26 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yoho. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
